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International Trade Specialist

Department of Commerce
Commerce, International Trade Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

There are two positions in the International Trade Administration (ITA), Department of Commerce (DOC) located in either metropolitan Albuquerque, New Mexico or Charleston, South Carolina.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/12/2021 to 11/02/2021
Salary
$92,143 to - $120,541 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
Albuquerque, NM
1 vacancy
Charleston, SC
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13 - This position is at the full performance potential.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Announcement number
ITA-ITA-2022-0002
Control number
617111100

Duties

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The primary purpose of this position is to assist the organization in strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade through the rigorous enforcement of trade laws and agreements. Duties include, but not limited to:

  • Advises business clients on strategies to improve the effectiveness of negotiations with potential overseas business partners.
  • Provides thorough knowledge of the dynamics of international commerce, including export/import processes, foreign direct investment promotion, trade finance practices, U.S. and foreign statutory and regulatory provisions, tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, and agreements.
  • Provides thorough knowledge of the theories, dynamics, and practices of international trade, economics, policies, global political economy, and other factors that influence international trade and U.S. business-development objectives.
  • Operate in a dynamic domestic and international business environment requiring dedicated effort to sustain expertise, to collaborate, and to maximize the benefits to all U.S. business interests.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other International Trade Specialist, GS-1140-13 positions within International Trade Specialist in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

This Position is also announced under vacancy number ITA-ITA-2022-0001, which is open to Merit Promotion eligible applicants. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a suitable for Federal employment.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • You must be registered for Selective Service if applicable (www.sss.gov).

*A one year probationary period may be required.
*Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.
*You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Security Clearance: You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret, Noncritical-Sensitive/Moderate Risk clearance.

Time-after-competitive-appointment restrictions apply.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards.  This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.  Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.  This experience need not have been in the federal government.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.  You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

To qualify at the GS-13 level:  

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: 

  • Performing U.S. export facilitation, foreign direct investment promotion, trade promotion through trade-policy analysis, the resolution of trade barriers, and/or negotiations;
  • Recommending empirical trade information with interpretation and prediction of influences of economic, market, political, and other event;
  • Developing strategies for U.S. business facilitation, trade and investment promotion initiatives, regulatory, and global trade-policy positions.

Education

There is no positive education requirement for this position.

Additional information

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100.  Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management’s Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

      1. A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
      2. A copy of your SF-50 “Notification of Personnel Action”, noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
      3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
      4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

      1. A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
      2. A copy of your SF-50 “Notification of Personnel Action” documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
      3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
      4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

The physical worksite for this position is located in Albuquerque, NM. However, the International Trade Administration is currently under a maximum telework posture due to the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, this position is currently under a 100 percent telework schedule. The position's telework schedule will likely change in the future when we officially move away from the maximum telework posture. At that time, the incumbent will be expected to report to the physical work site in accordance with the updated status requirements of their supervisor. The nature and scope of future telework opportunities will be subject to the unit's telework policy, any applicable bargaining unit agreements, and supervisory approval. Payment of relocation expenses, as applicable, will be paid in accordance with this Job Opportunity Announcement. Non-compliance with the supervisor's telework-schedule requirement could result in adverse action, including separation.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position.  If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of the three pre-defined categories.  The categories are “gold”, “silver” and “bronze”.  However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered.  Candidates placed in the “gold” category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility:  Within each category, those entitled to veterans’ preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed.  Preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. For more information on Category Rating, please go to Category Rating.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

  • Ability to organize work, set priorities, and determine resource requirements; determine short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinate with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; and monitor progress and evaluate outcomes.
  • Knowledge of export marketing and promotion, foreign trade practices, and government international programs and policies. Supporting Native American communities, including tribal governments and businesses, to promote economic development and job creation.
  • Skill in conducting international business research and analyzing foreign market data for the benefit of U.S. companies.
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, tax law and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

To preview questions please click here.

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